From celebrity-spotting in Hall H to swag-hunting in the exhibition hall, most of Comic-Con occurs indoors.

But the Con occurs in midsummer, on the fringe of the Gaslamp Quarter, in a city fabled for blue skies and waters.

Why not embark on a Con-quest of outer spaces?

By foot

Slip on walking shoes and smear on sunscreen. An easy stroll from the convention center, a world awaits.

Superheroic people-watching: Grab an outdoor table at the Tin Fish (170 Sixth Ave.) if you’re drinking and dining on a budget, or Lou & Mickey’s (224 Fifth Ave.) if you’re not. Both restaurants are opposite the convention center’s main entrance, crossroads of the Con’s costumed universe.

Diamond prospecting: The Padres are on the road, but Petco Park (100 Park Blvd.) is still performing. Morning and afternoon tours allow fans to enter the bullpen, roam the warning track, sit in a dugout and check the view from the press box. Tickets range from $7 to $11; order in advance from (619) 795-5011 or

Lost world: Downtown’s Chinatown has mostly vanished, but the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum (404 Third Ave.) testifies to its former glories. Ancient relics, woodblock prints, calligraphy, a warlord’s bed, a bridal gown — they’re all here. And on a warm afternoon, linger in the shady Asian garden.

Cast a spell: The New Children’s Museum (200 W. Island Ave.) is a nifty place to entertain your children or your own inner child. Art here is meant to be touched, pushed, clambered over. Still have energy to burn? The park on the museum’s doorstep includes a shaded climbing structure.

Inspiration at your feet: The Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade is a broad, palm-lined walkway along the trolley tracks that border Harbor Drive. Every 50 yards or so, the path is marked by plaques engraved with the civil rights leader’s reflections on history, freedom, life and other eternal truths.

By pedicab

Fares vary on these bicycle-powered rickshaws, but a trip into the Gaslamp or downtown should cost around $10 to $15 per passenger. Not all drivers speak fluent English; carry a map of downtown to indicate your destination.

Old Southwest: Enjoy timeless fare — a steak sandwich, say — at the Gaslamp’s oldest bar, the 128-year-old Tivoli (505 Sixth Ave.). Or journey further back in time to the William Heath Davis House (410 Island Ave.), an 1850 residence reborn as a museum.

By ferry

Water works: The 15-minute voyage to Coronado offers views of San Diego’s skyline and the bay’s many faces: sleek megayachts, knockabout dinghies, burly warships and freighters unloading everything from bananas to cars.

By rail

The Convention Center trolley stop (Harbor Drive at Fifth Avenue) is a portal to many destinations. For information, call (619) 595-4949 or visit

Time travel: Haven’t had your costumed character fix? Ride north to the Old Town station (Green Line), where restored buildings and strolling interpreters re-create the San Diego of 1821-1872. Admission is free, but those 19th-century-looking shop- and tavernkeepers charge 21st-century prices.

Validation: No longer just kids’ stuff, comics have been embraced by scholars. Need proof? San Diego State University’s on-campus trolley stop (Green Line) is outside the main library, which houses an extensive collection of comic books, graphic novels and zines.

Beachin’: The Convention Center sits on the bay yet is miles from any surf. One option: trolley over to the Santa Fe Depot (Green Line), transfer to the Coaster, then travel north to Solana Beach. That station is a five-minute walk from Fletcher Cove Park (111 S. Sierra Ave.), with showers, restrooms, a picnic area and — at last! — waves.